Wina calls for innovation in universities

June 30, 2017

2 Min Read

VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina unveils a plaque during the official opening of National Institute of Public Administration Information and Conference centre in Lusaka recently. PICTURE: ANGELA NTENTABUNGA.

CHOMBA MUSIKA, Lusaka
VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina has called on institutions of higher learning to be innovative and complement Government’s

efforts to improve public infrastructure in the education sector.
And Mrs Wina says the recently established National School of Government, which will provide pre-entry courses for public service workers, will be hosted as a faculty by the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA).
Speaking during the commissioning of the K34 million information and conference centre at NIPA yesterday, Mrs Wina said higher learning institutions should modernise infrastructure at their respective institutions.
She commended NIPA management for taking a bold initiative of modernising its infrastructure in an effort to provide quality training to foster national development through human resource development.
She said Government alone cannot manage to address infrastructure challenges at public institutions.
“In the past, Government was solely responsible for all infrastructure development in public institutions, but this had proven increasingly difficult in view of other emerging priorities and economic challenges in our midst.
“I am glad that NIPA had foresight to commit its own resources to build this magnificent infrastructure,” she said.
Mrs Wina, who toured NIPA facilities, expressed happiness with the innovativeness of management at the institution in enhancing service delivery through the provision of quality services.
She said the introduction of information and communications technologies (ICT) and entrepreneurship courses is an impressive step as it is in line with Government’s e-governance agenda.
She said entrepreneurship courses will encourage citizens to establish their own enterprises and ICTs will enhance productivity in all sectors of the economy.
Mrs Wina has also said the National School of Government, which will provide pre-entry courses for public service workers, will be hosted by NIPA as a faculty.
She said the school will promote a transformation work culture in public service and serve as a centre of excellence for public administration in Zambia.
Earlier, NIPA executive director Royson Mukwena said the student population at the institution has increased from 600 in 2,000 to 10,126 last year.
Professor Mukwena said the institution will continue to be innovative in its quest to provide excellent training and research courses that will meet the demands of a modern society.
And NIPA governing council board chairperson Mwindaace Siamwiza said NIPA has introduced degree programmes to its training portfolio in competence areas such as public administration and human resource management.